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Police in British Columbia are concerned that an outlaw motorcycle club is expanding its criminal reach into the province
So-called supporting or “puppet” motorcycle clubs are forming in British Columbia, expanding the Hells Angel’s reach, police say. Photo by RICHARD LAM /PNG
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New motorcycle clubs linked to the notorious Hells Angels are springing up across the province, alarming police who believe the older gang is expanding its reach.
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Staff Sergeant Lindsay Houghton of the Combined Forces Special Gang Unit says there are now about 30 supporting or “puppet” clubs in British Columbia, compared to 10 Hells Angels chapters.
“There have been four or five new ones in the Lower Mainland in the last year,” he said. “The farm team system for HA is very much alive and well.”
Among the new bands is the Smoke Show, an all-female riding club, the Commandos and another called Krusherz.
Hughton said six of the club’s approximately 30 supporters “self-identify as one percenters, so they wear the little one percenter diamond on their leather vest.” That means they identify as “illegal” motorcycle clubs, he said, according to the phrase, which dates back to the Hells Angels’ creation in 1948.
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After more than two years of COVID restrictions, the Hells Angels and their supporters are organizing large “walks” and other events that were canceled during the pandemic. This allowed the police to gather intelligence on how the cycling landscape had changed.
Many of the new puppet clubs show up at Hells Angels events, Houghton said.
“The concern as these clubs proliferate is that people in these clubs will continually reaffirm their dedication and loyalty and subservience to the Hells Angels,” Houghton said.
Shadow Club patch, Whalley based Hells Angels BC puppet club, with Commandos RC patch, right. Photo from submitted photo
He said the Hells Angels, the subject of ongoing criminal cases and various charges including conspiracy to commit murder and importing cocaine, find the puppet clubs useful.
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“Often in support clubs, these are people who some would consider regular people with regular jobs,” he said. “They work in different industries. They work in the government. They can access information.
“The Hells Angels and other OMGs (outlaw motorcycle clubs) look for these people in these groups so they can infiltrate and exploit. And our concern is always access to information, risk to public safety, risk to privacy.
Sinful Kings Puppet Club patch, left, and Krusherz RC patch, right. Photo from submitted photo
He cited a UN gang associate who contacted ICBC to look up addresses for people at the British Columbia Institute of Justice, then carried out a series of attacks on their homes a decade ago. He was eventually caught and pleaded guilty.
Postmedia contacted Hells Angels BC spokesperson Rick Ciarniello about the support clubs. He didn’t answer.
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Last week, Houghton said the Throttle Lockers puppet club that tried to expand into Kamloops is effectively defunct after a major CFSEU drug investigation resulted in charges against two of its former members and an associate.
Other puppet clubs are also the subject of criminal investigations. Devil’s Army President Richard Alexander is facing a charge of first-degree murder in the 2016 Vancouver Island killing of John Dylan Brown. His trial is scheduled for February 2023. A Krusherz member’s Instagram account is promoting a fundraising campaign for Alexander’s legal fees.
Silverback Guerrillas RC patch, left, and Sinister RC patch, right. Patches for so-called motorcycle support clubs that police say are forming in British Columbia, expanding the reach of the Hells Angels. Photo from submitted photo
Brad Steven, a retired Vancouver police bikie specialist, said puppet clubs weren’t common in British Columbia until the last decade, “due to the fact that they’re kind of a conduit to the Hells Angels and there are some vulnerabilities there.”
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“I think the perception from the Hells Angels is that it’s the easier way to get infiltrated by the police or some other nefarious players in the underworld.”
In recent years, however, the benefits for motorcyclists have outweighed the risk.
Stephen said the Hells Angels use the support clubs to evaluate potential members who can be promoted to HA.
“They can monitor their street cred. They can monitor their durability. They can monitor their ability to make money. And it really is a recruiting process,” he said.
There is a hierarchy within the puppet clubs who have to get permission from the Hells Angels to start with a one piece patch on their vests and then later a two piece and eventually a three piece like this ‘full patch’ which HA members wear, Stephen said.
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“And then the top tier is a three-part patch with MC and one percent,” Stephen said. “It’s the very pinnacle of puppetry clubs … there’s probably four or five of these top-level clubs in British Columbia.”
The puppet clubs try to intrigue with the Angels. Some end up wanting access to the bikers’ criminal network, he said.
“They’re super motivated and want to help out with anniversary parties, Hells Angel for sure, with traffic control. They will provide bartending, car service. They often don’t drink at the parties,” Stephen said. “They’re basically the lackeys of the club.”
kbolan@postmedia.com
Twitter.com/kbolan
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